Aminath Zeeniya, Managing Director of Aasandha said today that independent facilities operating in the healthcare industry demands exorbitant rates and that efforts are ongoing to introduce packages, which includes Aasandha, to resolve the issue.
Aminath Zeeniya, Managing Director of Aasandha said today that independent facilities operating in the healthcare industry demands expensive rates and that efforts are ongoing to introduce packages, which includes Aasandha to resolve the issue.
She said this while speaking at the parliament's Committee on Economic Affairs in response to a question posed by ruling party People's National Congress (PNC)'s parliamentarian of Central Maafannu, Asma Rasheed, also Chairperson of the Committee on whether efforts are ongoing to revise the excessive prices charged by private hospitals.
"If someone poor goes there and if they're billed such a high amount, it is sent to Aasandha and NSPA if they cannot pay it. But both Aasandha and NSPA can only take on a certain amount," said Asma.
In response, Zeeniya said that the Finance Minister, Mohamed Shafeeq had also shared the same concerns over a phone call last week. Efforts are now being proceeded under his consultation, she assured.
Procedures offered by private hospitals are not costly, said Zeeniya, adding that efforts are proceeding to resolve the problem of the final bill charging higher amounts regardless.
"There are only two large hospitals in the private sector. That is Treetop Hospital and ADK. Those places are relatively costly. But the procedure cost proposed to us is not so high. However, the final bill for line procedure observe very high rates," said Zeeniya.
"We are now looking to introduce package prices. To ensure they cannot demand a price other than what is agreed with us after the service is provided."
Zeeniya said that people are compelled to seek services from hospitals besides the state facility, Indira Ghandi Memorial Hospital and Dharumavantha Hospital because they have particularly long queues. Therefore, despite insisting that services will not be delivered if package prices are not complied with, the country's health care sector is in dire need of improvement, she said.
"Most people these days opt for the private sector to receive a quicker surgery or consultation. Additionally, persons who travel to Male' from islands for medical care are also posed with increasing barriers related to food and accommodation. Therefore, they seek the faster healthcare treatments. There are many loopholes we need to amend."
Zeeniya said that deliberations on reducing costs are also ongoing with foreign facilities that offer costly healthcare services to Maldivians.
Meanwhile, addressing the problem, CEO of NSPA, Heena Waleed also reiterated that Maldivian healthcare facilities are expensive and assured that deliberations are ongoing to reduce the rates.
Large procedures, such as neurosurgery, are only offered by private hospitals, she said, emphasizing that the high costs cannot be tackled unless state hospitals begin offering these services.
Consequently, Aasandha and NSPA's expenditure will not decrease without advancing the country's healthcare standards, she said.
Aasandha had spent a sum of USD 1.7 billion by last June with the agency having spent MVR 2.4 billion by the end of 2023. Zeeniya had predicted that the figures will be similar by the end of this year.
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